Primark A/W Look Book: Yum!

Hi guys,

Do you know that apart from buying bits for the house (using wedding gift vouchers and other lovely presents) I haven't been in a single shop since I got back from Eygpt. And it's been almost a fortnight: making it almost 5 weeks since I even went window shopping. This has to be some kind of a new world record for me!



However these pictures of the Primark A/W look book may just be enough to have me heading to Oxford Street to make sure it's not too good to be true. That's always my feeling when I see the Primark looks: I love the clothes, I love the styling, I get excited. Then I try and temper my excitement because I know they just won't look as lovely in real life. I hope i'm not right this time, because there are some pieces I definitely want to inject some new season style into my existing lovely winter wardrobe:



Ovoid coat £35 in store August. Patent vintage bag £7 in store July. Pink tights £2 in store August. White patent heels £12 in store now.



Cable button cardigan £12 in store August. Cable knit midi £12 in store September . Socks £2 in store October. Lace-up patent boots £18 in store September.



Limited Edition peterpan dress £23 in store September. Padlock mini crossbody £5 in store July . Socks £2 in store October. Loafers £16 in store August



Dalmation coat £45 in store September. Jeggings £6 in store July. Loafers £16 in store August



Check jacket £35 in store August. Cable knit jumper £14 in store September. Tailored dusty pink trousers £14 in store September. Socks £2 in store October. Loafers £16 in store August



What do you think? Anything grabbed your attention? I'm a faux fur addict, so i'm very interested to see what the dalmation coat looks like in the flesh!

Love, Tor xx

Christmas wishlist: French Connection coat

Hi guys,

In honour of my lovely new coat (which I picked up yesterday from the French Connection outlet and am completely in love with!) today's wishlist item is this fab coat from French Connection.

I love it's 80s style shape and slight bat wing sleeves. Personally, i'm too heavy busted to wear a double breasted coat, but on someone smaller up top, I think this coat would look amazing: it's a versatile piece that would look rock-chicky teamed with jeans and ankle boots, but really sleek over a little black dress.

At £190 it definitely isn't the cheapest coat on the highstreet, but it is a great shape and classic colour that means it will last you winter after winter: after a couple of heavy snows the cost-per-wear of this coat means it will practically pay for itself!

Love, Tor xx

Coats: A new, old obsession

Hi guys,
As you probably all know, I love coats, but this week everything that could go wrong with my collection has gone wrong! Firstly, I got a bit drunk and tore the lining of my Isabella Oliver coat to shreds. Then I wore my red military coat with an across-body bag over it, and the movement of the bag has ripped half the buttons off (half of them never to be seen again!) My leopard print coat has 1/2 length sleeves, so half of me is toasty warm and half of me is freezing. And my mohair coat from Warehouse is malting so badly that i'm leaving a trail of hair behind me where ever I walk: it's like all my coats decided to give up at the same time!

I can't really afford to replace my coat right now (I hadn't budgeted for needing a new one!) but in fantasy-shopping-land that doesn't matter: in fantasyland, all these designer coats could be mine!

Oh yes, orange Oscar de la Renta with fur trim. Yes! I love this coat with its vintage feel and heritage styling: it's more ladylike than I usually look for, but it could be so versatile. The shaggy Fendi fur is more obviously me, and has a real rock chick edge. I love the green/orange colour combo of the Kinder Aggugini cape/coat and the military detailing: will military coats ever stop being cool!?

In the real world for my replacement coat I will probably turn to trusty ASOS or Topshop. Here are my ASOS picks:

The military and fur trends seem especially easy to replicate on the highstreet: there are lots of great brass button details in almost every store. The fur and wool mix, especially with the vibrant colour too, is much harder to come by. my faves from above are the rich brown shaggy fur and the navy blue double breasted coat with the brown belt detail: I like a coat that draws into my waist.

I'm going to Bicester Village on Friday, to finish my Christmas shopping. I'm hoping that I might stumble across the perfect coat whilst i'm there!
Love, Tor xx

25% off everything at Dorothy Perkins!

Hi guys,
I'm a big fan of Dorothy Perkins: It's not as fashion forward as Topshop but the fit is better and more figure flattering (if you have boobs at least) and the price points are lower too. And this week they're offering 25% off everything on their website!

When there are discounts to be had, I always think it is the perfect time to stock up on things you need that you know you won't get in the sales anywhere else (until January at least) but that you need right now. Given the weather at the minute, that means warm coats and winter accessories! 25% is a good discount to get off your winter coat at this time of year, especially if last years is reaching the end of it's life. Sadly mine isn't, which is a shame as I really fancy a new winter coat! Here are my four faves from the DP website:

Stone coat, £75 (£56.25 with discount) Buckle front cape, £65 (£48.75 with discount) Cream patch fur coat, £85 (£63.75 with dicount) and camel cape, £65 (£48.75 with discount)

I've added a couple of capes because just about everyone I know is going crazy for them at the minute! Personally, I have a massive heart-quickening lust for that patchy fur coat. The pattern is beautiful and I love its grown up and simple shape.

To get your hands on 25% off everything use this link and code: DPVIPE at the checkout! This offer ends on 14th November, so get in quick!

Love, Tor xx

AW10: Primark's coats and boots

Hi guys,

Looking through my stats and site traffic yesterday, I couldn't believe how many people were finding the blog by searching for new season Primark boots or coats. But actually, my Primark winter posts are from last winter, so those poor souls won't be able to buy whatever they find! So being the selfless lovely person that I am (ha!) I popped down to Primark armed with my camera to seek out the best of this seasons winter wears: what the people want, the people get!

Primark still don't allow you to take photos in store, and the staff are getting particularly vigilant about enforcing the rules, so apologies if the picture quality isn't great but I had to take these on my iphone:

The camel coat on the top right is the most expensive thing I have ever seen in primark: this cashmere mix coat is £49. I can testament that it feels beautiful though, and it looks great on! The black coat on the top right is exactly the same except that it is a wool mix, and is therefore cheaper at £29. There were lots of military details on coats too, and if you still need protecting from the Autumn showers, they still had all their rain macs and lighter weight coats in store too.

Ahh, the ubiquitous faux Mulberry Alexa, as seen in nearly every store on the high street this winter! The Primark one costs just £9, and they also comes with a matching purse. It's actually a good sized bag, and not bad quality, given the price.

If there's a trend on the high street then you can guarantee that Primark have come up with their own cheaper version of it! The boots instore today were replicas of so many other boots i've seen: cowboy boots, heeled clog boots, biker boots, and traditional knee high boots. There was also the best pair of Gareth Pugh replica-style chunky black wedge boots that I fell absolutely in love with, but sadly I couldn't take a picture!

Another thing worth mentioning is the pajamas! I'm a self confessed pajama addict, and I had a field day in the pajama section of the store where all the winter PJs are out in force, and you can even buy an adult onesy, complete with built-in feet! You can guess what i'll be wearing when the cold nights draw in!

Love, Tor x

In the Changing room: At Debenhams

Hi guys,
More winter wears, this time from Debenhams, where my coat obsession went into overdrive! I let myself try on my two favourite coats, then I tried on a couple of winter wardrobe staples, all from Red Herring (Debenhams has so many departments that I had to limit myself to one at a time!) Here are my picks:

Oh coats, how I love thee! The military green coat with the fur trim had lots of Russian influence, and was a great fit, although the double breasted style doesn't really suit my shape, and this was further emphasised by how many buttons it has! My love of all things sailor meant I had to try on the second coat! It looked great from the front, but the swing shape meant it was massively oversized at the back.

Loved this oversized blanket-cardigan, which had a great pattern, a great fit, and super-soft knit too: what more could a girl want!? The tiered hippie-style dress looked lovely, and I was obsessed with the wide sheer sleeves, but it was so short that I had to bend my knees slightly to protect my modesty, and i'm not tall! It would look great over jeggings or skinny jeans though.

I always get so excited about the Designers at Debenhams stuff when i'm in Debenhams that i'm guilty of overlooking Red Herring, but I think it's definitely worth checking out, particularly if you're in the need of new outerwear!

Love, Tor xx

Wrap up for winter at Dorothy Perkins

Hi guys,

I love this time of year, when winter is in full force in every shop. I love buying coats (I actually have a small addiction to buying coats!) and I love wearing layers and wrapping up warm. This is probably why i've gotten into the habit of taking pictures of coats in every shop I go into at the moment! Here are some of the winter displays I snapped in Dorothy Perkins:

I can't resist a red Paddington bear coat, and they are on offer for £65 in every colour! The new heritage trend, full of paisley patterns and knitted oversized jumpers and cardigans is my favourite trend of the season: so comfy and cosy and with acres of layering potential! Finally, the evening fur coats in matt black and nude look great with the trilby hats: i'm giving serious thought to getting an evening hat, such as the kind ladies wore in the "good old days"!

On their website Dorothy Perkins have 20% off a massive selection of coats, but this offer isn't in store, so if you're looking to buy a new coat, and one of these has taken your fancy, it's worth checking out!

Love, Tor xx

Wardrobe sort out, ready for the new season

Hi guys,

So it's that time of the year again: time to sort out your wardrobe ready for Autumn/Winter. I spent all day yesterday sorting through my wardrobe: restitching buttons on to last years coats and de-bobbling them all. I know you're supposed to do this before you put them away for the summer, but I think you have to be really dedicated to remember to do that, and sadly i'm not!

I folded all my summer dresses and vests into my biggest suitcase, added a couple of moth balls, and put it under the bed. Then I went through my winter accessories box: making sure all my gloves were paired (and throwing away the pile of odd ones I seem to accumulate!) making sure I had scarves to match each of my coats and the same with hats. I pulled my winter boots to the front of the wardrobe and sorted out the ones that need reheeling (which I will get done in the next week) and packed my summer sandals and flip flops away.

I have always liked hats - I wish we still lived in a time when it was the done thing to wear hats everyday! That's definitely not something I need to buy any more of - although I know if I see another lovely one I won't be able to resist!

I know it seems like a boring chore, but I actually love sorting out my wardrobe: it works as a great reminder of all the lovely things you have, and I just dug up a dress I loved but forgot I owned: I haven't worn it for 3 years!!

This is the perfect way to identify any holes in your wardrobe and fill them whilst there's plenty of choice from the new season stock on the high street: I would like a couple more long sleeved dresses (i'm trying to move away from wearing long sleeved tops under sleeveless dresses like I did last year) I'd also like a pair of tan leather gloves, a pair of brown boots (last years have a hole in the sole, but were so inexpensive it makes more sense to buy a new pair than to pay for resoling) and I have a hankering for a leather dress: because my coats from last year don't need replacing, I think I could justify the investment!

Have you sorted out your wardrobe for winter yet? I'd love to know what you'll be buying this season, and what your going to try not to replace.

Love, Tor xx

Etsy obsession of the week: Emily Ryan

Last weeks etsy obsession of the week focused on the cutesy, so this week I wanted to focus on something considerably more serious and step away from my adorable animal friends, however when I saw this bird patterned shift dress by Emily Ryan I fell in love and I knew I had to feature it!

This dress is made of cotton, and is cut in a 60's shift style. On the front panel there are three stuffed applique birds flying from the bottom to the top. The neck, shoulders, arm holes, and hemline are also stuffed to add structure to the dress. I know it's a little wintery but I just adore this dress: it's exactly to my taste and the wide sleeves and mini length would flatter my figure perfectly too.

Emily Ryan is an independent designer located in Portland, Oregon. She has been designing custom and retail pieces since 2001, and hs participated in many fashion shows over the years. Currently, She loves modern sculptural designs that explore texture and shape, as well as artistic, comfortable, and cozy designs and is continually inspired by 1920's couture, science fiction, and Japanese fashions

All the pieces are handmade to order, meaning you would be getting your hands on something really rather special: this dress is from the 2010 Winter Solstice Collection and I am completely in love with every single piece. I can't emphasis enough how wonderful I think this collection is, I covet it all. The piece above is called the butterfly coat: It's made of heavy weight cotton, which lends itself to structure and form. It is gathered at the sides, nicely showing the waistline and giving a lovely butterfly wing effect. It is gathered across the back, the bottom center front, and also has an oversized gathered neck. I think it's beautiful: I got so fed up of my coat this winter, but I know if I had one like this i'd never be bored!

I often find myself raving about my new discoveries (I guess I must be over-excitable) but I think Emily Ryan is a very talented designer. If I could have it made without the polo neck - not good on my bust- then that dress would be making its way to my wardrobe right now!

Lots of love, Tor xx

Fabfrocks reviews: Isabella Oliver 365 Shirt Coat

One of the best things about ordering something online is the anticipation of the package arriving. And the second best thing about ordering online is opening the parcel. In my experience, the better the quality of the packaging, the better the quality of the treasure inside. This was certainly the case with Isabella Oliver: the packaging was beautiful and had me excited before i'd even seen the coat: I was delighted when Isabella Oliver told me they were going to be sending me their Shirt Coat for review because its the perfect coat shape for me: a little fitted at the top but loose and masculine below the bust.

The sleeves are bracelet length, perfect for showing off pretty leather gloves or, when the weather warms up a little, a bracelet in the evening. The coat is made of 95% wool, 5% cashmere, and it's so soft it leaves all my other coats in the shadows. The buttons are metal and have a subtle military detail which I love: the devil is in the details! I love the swing shape, and the way it drapes longer at the back (like a mans shirt!) But because of this i've teamed it with skinny leggings and fitted boots: I think if you wore anything loose on your legs underneath this you could risk looking like a bag lady! Other than that, there's nothing not to love about this coat: unlike my other "fashion" coats this is simple, good quality, and could be a wardrobe staple for years to come. In fact, it makes me think it's time to have a clear out of all the others stuck hiding at the back of my wardrobe!

You can get your hands on your very own Shirt Coat from Isabella Oliver for £186.15 in their sale (was £219).

Love, Tor x

Primark New Season Coats AW09/10

As Make do Kate would remind us all, fashion is about looking and feeling good, not how much you spend. For some, that means drastically cutting down your shopping and buying investment pieces. But for others (students, recent graduates, people on salaries like mine: i'm thinking of you!) there isn't money for investment pieces, and even with your shopping cut right back, you end up in Primark for the big pieces. And the big piece we are all trying to buy right now is our winter coat.

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Right now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing; as the prices in Primark have slowly creeped up, so has the quality. And although you aren't going to be coming out with a cashmere number you can wear season after season, for £30 you can find a very wearable coat that will last you the whole winter.

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I went to Primark last night armed with my camera and took hundreds of pictures of everything beautiful in store right now. Hopefully this will answer everyone who emailed me with a primark related question over the past couple of weeks; sorry for the lack of Primark related posts over the last week, but to remedy this there will be THREE (count 'em, THREE) posts on Primark going up today.

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So to get us started, here are my picks of the Primark winter coats:

Grey seems to be a popular primark coat colour at the moment, as does military style coats. These are some of my favourite of those two themes; if you like your coats plainer (or should I say classic!) there were also loads of options with very basic detailing too.
I love this cocoon coat, which came in this grey and in black. You can't see very well, but it has shiny buttons which look like big black diamonds and is a really flattering fit. The sleeves are a little long, but that's probably because I have the shortest arms in the world!!
This is my favourite, favourite, and the coat I would buy if I was in the market for a new one (I own more than 10 coats, so I really cant have another!) I love the close fit and the exagerated hips, the colour and pattern are wonderful; this coat is a curvy girls dream!!
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My one piece of advice when buying a primark coat is to take 5 minutes (this really is all it will take!) when you get it home to restitch the buttons. For some reason they are always loose and if you don't do this you are likely to lose one after a couple of wears; this is the only obvious flaw I can note with any Primark coat i've ever bought though!

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Next i'll be doing dresses and boots; I was told you can't take photos in Primark, but I went in like a stealth ninja undercover agent, all for you guys!

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Love, Tor x

Topshop outlet: more more more!

Okay, so I couldn't resist going back!

I had an afternoon off work for a doctors appointment (I am suffering with a very uncomfortable ear infection) and after the doc had fixed me up I ran to Edgeware to have another look in the Topshop outlet. There wasn't a lot of new stock and the shop still looked quite bare, however there were a few new gems there (proof for those who wanted it that they must get regular deliveries) including the Peter Jensen prom dress I have been coveting for just £20 (BOGOF) Sadly, they only had it in a size 12: a size too small for me, although I did try it on despite knowing my efforts would be in vain. This made me very very sad. However I cheered myself up by taking my own advice: I bought 2 new coats perfect for next winter, but because of my absolute lack of restraint, also very very wearable right now. So here they are; grey and green and perfectly practical in every way:

This is the one i'm wearing most. It's the perfect spring coat: very lightweight, gorgeous 3/4 length baloon sleeves (excellent for showing off gorgeous bracelets) and such a lovely spring colour. Its not obviously screaming "colour block" trend like a purple or pink one would, but I like it even more for that.

And this is the one i'm saving for next winter. Love the military styling but what I love even more is that it is longer at the back than at the front, folding into a lovely tulip shape; super flattering on the hips and elongating the body. Two great things in my book!

I really can't recommend the concept of the topshop discount store enough: I just wish they'd hurry up and get some more stock in store now!

Lots of love,


A greedy and impatient Tor xxx

NOTE: Sorry I haven't posted for the past couple of days. I am having a family crisis and am going away for a couple of days. Hopefully everything will turn out OK and I will be back to posting on Monday. In the meantime have a great weekend and see you soon. Also sorry for the poor quality of the pictures: I wrote the post a couple of days agp and rushed the pictures as I was getting ready to leave this morning!

You're a tiger, baby!

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I feel like i've gained at least 2 extra stone (that I definitely didn't need!) and have gorged and indulged myself in ways I didn't think possible. Life is definitely good in the Brierley winter wonderland:

For Christmas I received many wonderful gifts; much needed new straighteners, a sewing machine (the DIY begins here!) and these wonderful boots from my parents:

Just when I thought my love of hello kitty couldn't get more elabourate, they went and made ugg boots. Normally I don't even like uggs, but now I can't get enough of them: I love these shoes!!
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I was also pampered by my sisters and the rest of the family with some lovely soap and glory products, pajamas, and so much more. My especially talented baby sister even made me a necklace!

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On the highstreet fashion front though, I thought the gift you would all most like to see is the lovely new jacket my boyfriend bought me:

See how I work it? I'm a tiger baby, yeah!!

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I spent today and yesterday hitting the sales, and frankly I'm exhausted! I will write up my exploits and begin my lengthy sales analysis tomorrow: I'm sure you wait with baited breath!

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In the meantime, Happy New Year!

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Love tor xxx

Primark Pick of the Week #2

(Post 2 in the 3 post bonanza!)

Hello, me again!

So, i'm sure noone will be suprised to hear that last night I went to primark: invariably all of my trips to Oxford street end up there. And it made up for the disapointment in H&M (yes, i'm still going on about it!) I love Primark; it always suprises me when people say they can never find anything in there because to me it is the best place to buy fashion forward clothes you will only wear for a month or two on a tight budget. Anyway, I digress.

This military style band master coat is this weeks pick of the week. The tight fit at the top and buttons are quite masculine, but the ruffles that start from under the bust make the whole thing look girlie and feminine. Obviously it's completely over the top but I love it!

It comes in black:

And in red:

I got the red one, and, as everyone keeps pointing out, it looks just like the jacket Prince Charles is wearing in the new portrait to commemorate his 60th birthday today which just happens to be on the front page of every paper.

Mock as you will people! I love it! All I need to do now is decide whether a bowler or top hat would accompany it best? Yes, I mean it!

Love your walking cliche,

Tor

Wearing my coat? Thats soo last season!

Like everyone else, I read the sartorialist on a semi regular basis and admire the beauty, style and randomness of it all (where else would you find pictures of pigeons having sex?) But a quick skim through this weeks posts this afternoon drew my attention to something worrying that I have been doing all wrong. See, I get up in the morning, get dressed, and throwy coat on. I thought this was OK. But actually, what I should've been doing is getting up, getting dressed, and draping my coat daintily over my shoulders. It's so unlike me to make these errors!

Actually, all joking aside, I think this is a really good idea. I always resent putting together a really great outfit and then ruining it by putting a massive coat over all my hard work. But by the same token i'm not crazy enough to leave the coat at home and risk hyperthermia for the sake of fashion. Well, not today anyway! The draped coat solves all these problems, and yet i'd never thought of it before. I think this is a look that would work particularly well with glamourous jewels and glitter peeking through for the evening, and over jeans and layered tshirts in the daytime: add some ladylike power to such a scruffy look.

Anyway. These are my thoughts at 5.30 this gloomy afternoon. Hometime and nandos for me!

Have a good evening.

Tor x

Mustard Whore

Hello internet,

Y'know what I hate? Well, cruelty. I'm very much like Alec Baldwin in that respect. Another thing though, that gets my goat is Audrey Hepburn adulation. The whole industry that's been built around her as a style icon, veritably craps in my mouth. Anyone would look good stick-thin and in black Givenchy.

Why do so many women adulate the blah outfits of a shoplifting hooker? I bet that dress smells of stale cigarettes and the 50s eqivalent of Charlie Red laced with an entrancing and yeast-ish hint of gonorrhoea.

Incidentally, I think these movie hookers look way cooler:

The best pic I could find of Julia Roberts and Laura San Giacomo in Pretty Woman. Even as a 10 year old, I thought the hooker outfits were way more awesome than her richy-rich outfits.

Jennifer Jason Leigh in Last Exit to Brookyln.
This is a movie that teaches us that prostitution isn't always a gateway to couture.

Anyway, I had a point and here it is: a mustard yellow coat is awesome. A mustard yellow coat worn by Zadie Smith, a woman known foremost for her giant brain and writin' smarts = Becky Fashion Inspiration #44. Long since I have toiled to find a high street equivalent and lo! in the Marks & Spencer sale armed with vouchers, I found one.

Obser-erve:

Zadie in her glorious London home, posing for Vogue.

The Wigmore jigging, hands clasped in glee in her Norwich-ian Homestead.

We are as one.

So my point, once more, is: admire hookers if you must but pick the cool ones. Alternatively you can enjoy the outerwear of Booker Prize nominees. And Holly Golightly is clapped out fo' sure.

Love,
B